Locking of stereo-plates or printing surfaces to the cylinders of rotary printing machines



May 31, 1932- M. WILKINSON E1- AL 1,860,916

LOCKING OF STEREOPLATES OR PRINTING SURFACES To THE CYLINDERS CF ROTARY PRINTING MACHINES Filed April l0, 1951 Patented May 31, 1932 l 1,850,915@

UNITEntvs I'ATEsiPATETe 12F-11 Y MATTHIAS LEWIS WILKINSON AND ROBERT 1BRADsHA.-W or rREsToN-, -nNGLAND f;

LOCKING' orxsmnanosrnsrnswon rItINrINqjsURFAcEslTo rHE-eYILINnENsoF Romans PRINTINGMAGIIINES j Application'led April 10,` V1935.5;`Sera1=-1\To. 529,172, 'aridlin'Great Britain March 17, 193i.

This Vinvention relates to an-improvement--lspeeiiicationrandtheabove operatingmecha-- y in or modification of the invention described nis-niais intendedfto operate the: rodsl and; and claimed in thespecicati'on of Vthe :co- `SleeA/esgon one'halfofthe cylinder. -Aseconolw pending application for-Letters-Patent'lof similar. operating-- mechanismwwill Y-be ar-f 5 the United States of i American Serial-No.- rangedto operate the rods and s'leevesfon the 525,280, filed March 25,1931; other-half of the cylinder. Y

In the aforesaid specification vmeans -or 'y Tolenable Yt-heinvention to be fullyunder-av lockingstereo plates or'printing surfaces to-x stoodfit will'now 'be-described/byreferencet0C` the cylinders of rotary printing machines is 'thefaccompanying drawngs-nwhich described and thefpresent invention has for,f-r Fig-.fl is a longitudinal',seotionallelevation `60315' its object an'improved form .of lme'ychanis'mh` Voa-portion oifwonefhalfbfafourfplatewide :I foroperatingE the screwed rods. and sleeves l printing?eylinderwshewing theInechansm` whichfcarrytbevarious dogs for-locking thewfor'foperating the locking dogs-'asidescribede Yplatesor-printingsurfaces.` in the`aforesaid-speciiicati'ong" A According tothe inventiontheoperating-H Fig-2 isxan end elevationthereofshewing"653' mechanism Vcomprises a slgiindlermounted in 'foperatingfmech-anism according tofthepresa recess inthe endv of the-printing;cylinder*V ent inventiongfand 1 V y l and rotatably supported-inthe .cylinder and?` Fig.` 3 is aiplan viewi'thereof withthesur- `v plate. Between the vCylinder fand I tlrenendVv face of thecylinder opened-flat. I

plate the spindle carries two geariwheels'f Fig. 4 is a sectionalelevationof'adetail-f'oll one secured thereon and the other--loose therev`` ofthefloekingf-rmembers. Y on. Cluteh-'tee'th'are formed onthe opposed Figudsa sec-tional elevation'onj1ine5-f5, faces of the two gear' wheels: so Athat iifthefyFig.; 3f drawnto va larger scale and shewingspindle -is moved longitiidinallyfothe i twocfthe' operating? mechanism 1- aecordingfito theA f 'Wheels willrbefclutehed togetlrenei The reef inventiomand y Y cess in which the spindle' is mountedis, pro@y Fig.v 6 isla seetional'ielevation on the lin'e vided with a springwhich presses on the 6-6' Fig-.fand i inner vend of the spindle"and-ten'dsf'to force 'Y Fga? isa lsectional elevationof a-further-'1 ,the clutch teeth into engagementsl Within' detail-ofthelocking:members.

`the recess the-spindleenga'ges a locking memeI As in the aforesaid specification it will be 8d3-y ber vertically ysl'id-ablyin a' slot in the 4cylinunderstoodvizthatFig. f1 .representsthe upper der andseate'd'on a springf'whieli"normally portionoone halfonly .oa fonrplate .wide foresee-part ofthe member into engagement cylinder l shewingtwo plates 19,120, the cenwith an kabutment or Vabntmentsiormed on `tre margin 18 and oneset of locking means 'the spindle and so -positionedftbat'when'en;` for these twozplates only. l y `raged'bythe member-the spindle'is positively In the completecylinder similar plates held: in position'v with the? .gear wheels de# and looking means `are provided on the' other. clutched. The -member projects -upxto: orv Vupper whalfjand also, on the lower halves of f beyond the surface offthe' cylinder so that thecylinder. The pairs of plates are locked' it can bedepressedf'byhand; Ondepressing'by ra series "of dogs arranged in grooves '90 the-.memberthe-spindle is released and is around-the periphery of each hal-ifV of the* moved' longitudinally to clutch ythe' gear." vcylinder;theoperating:meansbeing arranged' wheels; To ideelutch the wheels thezspindlef raround thelcorfresponding halves of theen'dl A is pressed inwardly when the spring pressed *plates as-vshewn in Fig. 2. The other halif'membeif'again engages'the spindle vautomatiofthe-periphery will havetwozmore `pairs of 95 callyfand holds it positively-locked -a-gai'nstplatesxwith afsimilar series "of I dogs andaVv y axial-:movement with the :gear'wheels -degrooves-fand the locking means' will be ar.- f clutchedf ylli-hei,printing cylinder :is -itted- 1 ranged*- around f'the lower :half of'ztheend -1 rwithLscrewed:rod-se andsleeves rwithpairs of platesf The-locking means on-eachiend plate l`gearfwheelsasdescribedin :the aforesaidj-are exactly-the same. The *following de 10.0.

:.-various gear wheels.

scription refers to the upper portion of one halt only of the cylinderv 1.

As shewn the half cylinder 1 is provided with two sets of dogs 2 and'3 slidably mounted in grooves 6. From Fig. 2 it will be seen that there are four .sets of grooves 6 each with a set of dogs therein. Y

Since the construction and operation of each set of dogs is the same, only one set will be described with reference'to Fig. 1. The dog 3 is mounted on an externally threaded hollow sleeve 5, the outer end of which isV flanged and formed with gear teeth 5a. Through this sleeve a rod 4 passes freely,Y having a screwed end which engages a screwed opening in the dog 2. The screwed portions of the rod 4 and the sleeve 5 have the same number of threads per inch and the outer end ofV the rod is flanged and formed with gear teeth 4a, equal in number to the teeth 5a. The rod 4 is supported in the end plate 15 and a packing piece 16 is introducedA between the end of the cylinder and the plate to form an annular recess for containing the As shewn in Fig. 2 there are four'rods 4 and between each pair 0fI rodsrapair-r of gear wheels 7 and 8 are mbunted-whichv` gear :with the wheels 5a and4a respectively fon'7 the adjacent rods. Eachpair of 'wheels 71and Sare mounted as shewn 1in- Fig. 4," that isztof` sayithe1 wheel 7 -is integral with a spindle 7dsupport'edl inf a hole lin the cylinder Aend and intheendplate 15. while the whe'el.8- is freely .mounted on;` saidspindle 7a.- ifzf l v l The pair of wheels 46,47zmounted1betwe'en' the-centrallpair -offgrooves 6 A(Fi-g. 2)' areain 'cent gear -wheels (see Fig. 3l.' Th''opposed" tended to control-the-operation; ofthe other wheels 'and' tey this end as shewn in lfigseQ,l 3,# 5 and 6 the spindle 45 is squaredfat itsouter end L'and -is-mounted=i in -rawrecess1 80 `in-'the cvlinderand is supported in the .end plate 15. The=inner end v ofl-the spindle/:bears o'na spring48.l The spindle? is 'also'formedwith--- cured vb'yf "screws i455 and a-fgear "wheel E47 "is loosely lmounted' on the spindle. The" wheel end'plate15and shrouds i51?) on the facesiofihewheiegis 4.6'. ,er tesmed' with clutch teeth 46,@17 e, nefrlyfj A'iv'ltigf 49 is.nniounted' in ai," AVertical-` slot ,the cylinder and thef spindle j 45 passes there.V through. the. 0renin-sI .9.1 beine .Such thatthe. plunger @ammore up and, down ever@ .the

spindle. f The spindle is 'e formed .with il. freeV duced portion. 92 forming, shoulders 4505` f ner. bottom surface' of thezplungerf49fwhen= they Vlatterl isv forced upwards by the" spring:

willlbe seen that `the 'two gear wheels 5251i` scribedv` adapted tov engagegshoulders 49a onth'e i'n plying a Spanner tothe outer squared end G and thus the wheel 46 will be rotated which in turn rotates all the wheels 52, 5a turning all the screwed sleeves 5 and operating the dogs 8. To loperate the rods 4 andthe sleeves 5 simultaneously the plunger 49 is depressed to disengage the spindle 45 when the spring 48 moves the spindle axially causing the gear wheels 46, 47 tobe clutched together. Thus turning of vthe'spindle 45 will now cause all thev gear wheels'to be operated and all the dogs 2, 8. To disengage the wheels 46, 47 the squared endiof spindle k45 is pressed towards the cylinder 1 whichcauses the shoulders 450 to ride over the shouldersv 49a allowing the plung-er 49 to rise under the pressure of the spring 50 into the position shewn in Fig. 5 in which the wheels 46, 47 are again positively held in the unclutched position.

It will be understood that the above described operating mechanism can be used with any of the arrangements describedl in the.- aforesaid specification and that various modiiications of the method of locking the spindle `vinposition vwith the gear wheels unclutched are possible. i f' lVe-fclaiinc-` LwIn, avprinting-cylinder and in c0mbina- #a set of screwed rods-passing through .the

sleeves for .operating another setk .off dogs,l u

' means fon the .cylinderend for supporting the 2' i rodsfa; gearA wheel onl each'v rodend, 4.al-gear. i .119.: 1 wheel f on .each sleeve end ,f Aboth?y wheels .being i.' lind*ependentlyrotatable ande outside y the yend .f

mounted on` the-'cylindery end one between each spindle {ofv I the;l set. independently rotatable,vk

v:andigearing. with thezgeari wheels'fonthe ad- .l .jacent screwed.` `rods andisleeves, the'l gear?` 1 ,wheels on one Vof the spindles havinga clutch-l 5 Singe action to. provide 1 .operatingmechanismV 2.1420 for turning.,simultaneously allthe screwed :rodsindependently 'of ythefsleevesl or.A all ithe; .zrods and sleeves together for the V-'y')ur'poseside-` 2.2' .-Inf f .ai printing cylindervk 'according '1 tog I -125 claim 1i andin ccfim'bination'operatingmecha#1 n y p 'nisln foifthegeared rods and sleevesfcarryingf- 50 on whlch itresta 'Referringto Fig.3fitf dogs wherein the clutching spindle isl 'rotati y mounted in a recess in the printingoylin-I Y der andsupported-in the end plate thereof and pairot screwed rods,.twfo= gear wheels oniea che 1 .H5-f

capable of longitudinal movement, one of the clutching gearing wheels being fixed on the spindle, the companion clutching gear wheel being loose on the spindle, clutch teeth on the opposed faces of the gear wheels, a spring normally pressing the spindle so that the clutch teeth on the two wheels are in engagement, and a locking member movable positively to hold the spindle in the position in which the gear wheels are unclutched for the purpose described.

3. In a printing cylinder operating mechanism according to claim l and in combination operating mechanism for the geared rods and sleeves carrying dogs wherein the clutching spindle is rotatably mounted in a recess in the printing cylinder and supported in the end plate thereof and capable of longitudinal movement, one of the clutching gearing wheels being fixed on the spindle, the companion clutching gear wheel being loose on the spindle, clutch teeth on the opposed faces of the gear wheels, a spring normally pressing the spindle so that the clutchteeth on the two wheels are in engagement, said spindle being formed with an abutment, and a springpressed sliding locking piece mounted to engage the abutment to hold the spindle with the gear wheels in the unclutched position.

4. In a printing cylinder operating mechanism according to claim 1 and in combination operating mechanism for the geared rods and sleeves carrying dogs wherein the clutching spindle is rotatably mounted in a recess 1' in the printing cylinder and supported in the end plate thereof and capable of longitudinal movement, one of the clutching gearing wheels being fixed on the spindle, the companion clutching gear wheel being loose on i the spindle, clutch teeth on the opposed faces of the gear wheels, a spring normally pressing the spindle so that the clutch teeth on the two wheels are in engagement, said spindle being formed with an abutment, and a springpressed sliding locking piece mounted to en.- gage the abutment to hold the spindle with thel gear wheels in the unclutched position, said locking piece being movable in a substantially vertical slot in the cylinder and supported on a spring, the spindle passing freely through the locking piece and having a reduced portion forming said abutment, which abutment is adapted to engage a portion of the locking teeth for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof wehave signed our names to this specilication.

MATTHIAS LEWIS WILKINSON. ROBERT BRADSHAW. 

